Shoptalkhttp://www.tgslc.org/blog/
TG publishes <i>Shoptalk</i> to help you foster student success in higher education. With each post, <i>Shoptalk</i> offers timely news and resources on issues important to you, including financial aid, student outreach, enrollment management, financial literacy, default aversion, and industry training.Mango 1.6TG promotes college enrollment and FAFSA completion with FAFSA 500 campaign<div style="float:right; margin: 5px 20px 10px 20px;"><img src="/blog/skins/cutline/assets/images/fafsa500-3.png" border="0" alt="FAFSA 500" width="420" /> </div>
<p>Raising college enrollment rates has been a long-time TG goal. This year, TG launched a special promotional campaign to get more students on the way to a degree or certificate.</p>
<p>Working with Amarillo College, Austin Community College, and the Austin Chamber of Commerce (through its Summer Melt Program), TG crafted a multi-pronged communication effort that reminds students that college this fall is still possible and help is available. Getting more students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is one of the campaign's major objectives. (The FAFSA is essential to receiving federal aid, without which many students could not attend college.)</p>
<p>Called the FAFSA 500, the campaign invites students in Central Texas and around Amarillo to complete the FAFSA, take a selfie, and then post the photo on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. As an incentive, students will have a chance to win a $500 scholarship for the upcoming fall semester. Recently, students got some hands-on help to complete their FAFSA at two events, one hosted by Amarillo College and one held at the College Destination Center at Austin Community College (ACC). TG supported both events, offering one-on-one guidance for students visiting ACC's College Destination Center.</p>
<div style="float:left; margin: 5px 20px 10px 0px;"><img src="/blog/skins/cutline/assets/images/fafsa500-2.png" border="0" alt="FAFSA 500" width="420" /> </div>
<p>TG's efforts are ongoing and designed to raise FAFSA completion rates in two key Texas ESC regions, Region 13 (Central Texas) and Region 16 (Amarillo area), which have had fewer completions in the last few years. TG will promote the FAFSA 500 campaign through July 31.</p>http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/tg-promotes-college-enrollment-and-fafsa-completion-with-fafsa-500-campaign
http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/tg-promotes-college-enrollment-and-fafsa-completion-with-fafsa-500-campaignFinancial AidStudent SuccessTue, 28 Jul 2015 19:30:14 GMTED implements functionality in NSLDS for 150% limit<p>Under the 150% Direct subsidized loan limit requirements, a borrower who has no eligibility for <em>additional</em> Direct subsidized loans may lose interest subsidy on <em>existing</em> Direct subsidized loans if the borrower continues enrollment in an undergraduate program. The loss of interest subsidy on existing loans is triggered by the borrower's enrollment; therefore, information reported by schools to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) is used to determine whether the borrower is subject to a loss of interest subsidy.</p>
<p>Schools have been reporting program-level enrollment information to NSLDS since October 1, 2014, as required under the 150% limit rules. However, the functionality in NSLDS was not available to identify borrowers who have lost eligibility for the interest subsidy on their existing Direct subsidized loans. On July 20, 2015, ED published an <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/072015DSLLimit150PercentEA18ImplemofLossofInterestSubsidyBasedonEnrollment.html" target="_blank">electronic announcement</a> regarding the implementation of this functionality in NSLDS.</p>
<p><strong>Communication with borrowers</strong><br />ED will identify the affected borrowers, and the federal loan servicers will begin applying the loss of subsidy to borrower accounts. The servicers will also communicate with affected borrowers about their responsibility to pay accruing interest that resulted from the loss of subsidy. ED estimates that approximately 6,000 borrowers will be impacted by the implementation of the loss of subsidy functionality, and that many of the affected borrowers will have an effective date that is in the past. Applying the policy retroactively may require servicers to increase borrowers' monthly payment amounts to account for the additional accrued interest.</p>
<p>The federal loan servicers will serve as initial points of contact for borrowers who have questions about, or need help resolving a dispute that arises as a result of, their loss of interest subsidy.</p>
<p><strong>More information</strong><br />Schools should review the <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/072015DSLLimit150PercentEA18ImplemofLossofInterestSubsidyBasedonEnrollment.html" target="_blank">announcement</a> for further details.</p>http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/ed-implements-functionality-in-nslds-for-150-limit
http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/ed-implements-functionality-in-nslds-for-150-limitFinancial AidMon, 27 Jul 2015 16:33:00 GMTFSA ID important reminders<p>On July 17, 2015, ED published an <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/071715FSAIDnPINReplacementCreatedByFSAIDOwner.html" target="_blank">electronic announcement</a> (E-ANN) about the office of Federal Student Aid's (FSA) replacement of the Federal Student Aid PIN with the FSA ID on May 10, 2015.</p>
<p>While the vast majority of users have created an FSA ID successfully and are using it without issue, ED's contact centers continue to receive a high number of calls and Web chats from users unable to log in with their FSA ID. ED's analysis indicates that a large percentage of the individuals experiencing difficulty logging in with their FSA ID are those who had their FSA ID created by someone else. This could include, for example, a parent creating an FSA ID for a student, or vice versa, a school creating an FSA ID for a student, or a third-party entity creating an FSA ID for a borrower.</p>
<p><strong>FSA ID provides enhanced security</strong><br />Although well-intended, an FSA ID non-owner is prohibited from creating or soliciting an FSA ID for or from another person. The FSA ID was designed to provide greater security than the Federal Student Aid PIN, and is a critical enhancement for the protection of its users and important federal student aid data. As an important reminder, only the FSA ID owner should create and use an FSA ID. Maintaining the security of the FSA ID is critical to the integrity of student aid information and systems.</p>
<p>To ensure that FSA ID owners protect their information and do not lose access to their account, it is important that every FSA ID owner:</p>
<ul>
<li>Create their own FSA ID by selecting their own username and password;</li>
<li>Provide their own challenge questions and responses; and</li>
<li>Have access to the email account associated with the FSA ID account. The email address associated with one FSA ID account cannot be used by another FSA ID account.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Contact information</strong><br />ED requests schools' assistance in sharing this critical information with students, families, and borrowers to assist with maintaining the security of the FSA ID process and ensuring all student data is afforded the highest degree of privacy.</p>
<p>ED has recently expanded FSA ID information available at <a href="http://studentaid.gov/fsaid" target="_blank">StudentAid.gov/fsaid</a>, including specific instructions for unlocking accounts and resetting passwords. Schools should direct students, parents, and borrowers who have questions about the FSA ID to that page. If users need additional assistance in obtaining or logging in with an FSA ID, they should contact FSAIC at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). Web chat is also available from the FAFSA.gov "Help" page under "Contact Us."</p>http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/fsa-id-important-reminders
http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/fsa-id-important-remindersFinancial AidMon, 20 Jul 2015 19:43:48 GMTED posts reminders about Gainful Employment data reporting <p>On July 13, 2015, ED published Gainful Employment (GE) <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/071315GE57CommonErrorsReportingGEDataNSLDS.html" target="_blank">electronic announcement #57</a> that provides several reminders to schools about the correct reporting of GE data to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS):</p>
<ul>
<li>Report <strong>only</strong> students who received Title IV Aid (Pell Grants, TEACH Grants, or federal loans) for attendance in the GE program.</li>
<li>Report the GE program length format with the format "nnnnnn," with an implied decimal point between the third and fourth digits.</li>
<li>Report GE program information by the following deadlines:
<ul>
<li>July 31, 2015 for Award Year (AY) 2008-2009 through AY 2013-2014. For certain medical and dental programs, the reporting must also include data from AY 2007-2008.</li>
<li>October 1, 2015 for AY 2014-2015.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>For more details</strong><br />Schools with GE programs should review the <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/071315GE57CommonErrorsReportingGEDataNSLDS.html" target="_blank">announcement</a> for more information. Schools are also encouraged to visit the <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/GainfulEmploymentInfo/indexV2.html" target="_blank">Gainful Employment Information Page</a> on the IFAP website which provides a single location for numerous GE resources, including the updated <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/063015GEEAnnouncement56UpdatedNSLDSGainfulEmploymentUserGuide.html" target="_blank">NSLDS GE User Guide</a> that includes information schools can use to submit the required GE information to ED.</p>http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/ed-posts-reminders-about-gainful-employment-data-reporting
http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/ed-posts-reminders-about-gainful-employment-data-reportingFinancial AidThu, 16 Jul 2015 19:21:25 GMTClosed school corner, July 2015<p>The following table provides a list of newly reported school closures and corrections from the July 2015 <em>Closed School Monthly Report</em> supplied by ED. Schools listed are those with which TG has done business or to which TG has otherwise provided services.</p>
<table class="tablez" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="450" align="center">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th colspan="3" align="left">Newly reported closures</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="left" valign="bottom">OPE<br />School ID</th><th align="left" valign="bottom">School<br />Name/Address</th><th align="left" valign="bottom">ED's Official<br />Closure Date</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">00232508</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>University of Michigan-Ann Arbor</strong><br />9500 Wilshire Blvd.<br />Beverly Hills, CA 90212-2405</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/30/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">01072776</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>DeVry University-Sandy</strong><br />9350 S 150 East, Ste. 420<br />Sandy, UT 84070</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">06/01/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">02100400</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Everest Institute</strong><br />1750 Woodworth St., NE<br />Grand Rapids, MI 49525-2301</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">06/08/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">02298501</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Everest College-Ft Worth</strong><br />5237 North Riverside Dr.<br />Ft. Worth, TX 76137-2472</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">06/16/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">03028800</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>American National College</strong><br />1611 Spencer Highway, Ste. E<br />South Houston, TX 77587-3714</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">05/30/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">03008603</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Florida College of Natural Health-Sarasota</strong><br />616 67th St Circle East<br />Bradenton, FL 34208-6087</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">05/21/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">02100402</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Everest College</strong><br />8585 Broadway, Ste 200<br />Merrillville, IN 46410-7064</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">06/01/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">02300105</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Everest College-Earth City</strong><br />3420 Rider Trail South<br />Earth City, MO 63045-1100</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">05/20/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">02617507</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Everest College-Everest Institute-Bensalem</strong><br />3050 Tillman Dr.<br />Bensalem, PA 19020-2062</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">05/28/15</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/closed-school-corner-july-2015
http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/closed-school-corner-july-2015Financial AidTue, 14 Jul 2015 15:29:33 GMTNew financial literacy report released<p>ED recently announced the release of <a href="http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/financial-education/Documents/Opportunities%20to%20Improve%20the%20Financial%20Capability%20and%20Financial%20Well-being%20of%20Postsecondary%20Students.pdf" target="_blank">Opportunities to Improve the Financial Capability and Financial Well-being of Postsecondary Students</a>, a report by the Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC). ED is a member of FLEC, which was established in 2003 to develop a national financial education website (<a href="http://www.MyMoney.gov" target="_blank">MyMoney.gov</a>) and a national strategy on financial education.</p>
<p>The report describes current efforts being used by schools to enhance financial education among students to help them make informed decisions about choosing where and how to finance postsecondary education. It also advises on how to aid students in making sound financial decisions when enrolled and beyond.</p>
<p>ED encourages schools to utilize the information in this <a href="http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/financial-education/Documents/Opportunities%20to%20Improve%20the%20Financial%20Capability%20and%20Financial%20Well-being%20of%20Postsecondary%20Students.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> to support their institutional financial literacy efforts.</p>http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/new-financial-literacy-report-released
http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/new-financial-literacy-report-releasedFinancial AidFinancial LiteracyFri, 10 Jul 2015 17:00:00 GMTProposed regulations published<p>On July 9, 2015, ED published the <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/07/09/2015-16623/student-assistance-general-provisions-federal-family-education-loan-program-and-william-d-ford?utm_campaign=subscription+mailing+list&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=federalregister.gov" target="_blank">notice of proposed rulemaking</a> (NPRM) resulting from negotiations that concluded earlier this year. The NPRM includes proposed changes that would:</p>
<ul>
<li>Create a new income-contingent repayment plan (REPAYE) to allow more Direct Loan borrowers to cap their loan payments at 10 percent of their monthly incomes.</li>
<li>Assist borrowers who are in the process of rehabilitating a defaulted loan with the transition to loan repayment.</li>
<li>Expand the circumstances under which a school may challenge or appeal the potential consequences of a draft or official cohort default rate based on the school's participation rate index.</li>
<li>Establish new procedures for FFELP loan holders to identify military servicemembers who may be eligible for benefits under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA).</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>For more details</strong><br />Interested parties are encouraged to review the <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/07/09/2015-16623/student-assistance-general-provisions-federal-family-education-loan-program-and-william-d-ford?utm_campaign=subscription+mailing+list&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=federalregister.gov" target="_blank">NPRM</a> and submit comments regarding any of the proposed regulations on or before August 10, 2015. The NPRM includes instructions for comment submission.</p>http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/proposed-regulations-published
http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/proposed-regulations-publishedFinancial AidFri, 10 Jul 2015 14:15:30 GMTGainful Employment rules effective July 1, 2015<p>On June 30, 2015, ED published <em>Dear Colleague Letter</em> <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/GEN1512.html" target="_blank">GEN-15-12</a>. The DCL provides a summary of the significant regulatory provisions, effective July 1, 2015, that apply to educational programs that are required to prepare students for gainful employment (GE) in a recognized occupation.</p>
<p>ED reminds schools that the DCL provides only an overview of the GE requirements. Detailed information is provided in the <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/fregisters/FR103114Final.html" target="_blank">final regulations</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Summary of the significant regulatory requirements</strong><br />The GE regulations:</p>
<ul>
<li>Define a student as an individual who receives Title IV program funds and enrolls in the GE program</li>
<li>Require schools to report information about students who enrolled in each of the school's GE programs</li>
<li>Establish a debt-to-earnings (D/E) rates measure</li>
<li>Require schools to disclose to current and prospective students information about the school's GE programs</li>
<li>Require schools to establish the eligibility of a GE program by certifying, among other things, that the program is included in the school's accreditation and satisfies any applicable state licensing and certification requirements for the occupations for which the program prepares students to enter</li>
</ul>
<p>With the exception of the disclosure requirements, all of the provisions in the GE regulations are effective July 1, 2015. The new disclosure requirements are effective January 1, 2017. Until that date, schools must continue to comply with the GE disclosure requirements that have been in effect since July 1, 2011. ED will issue guidance on the new disclosure requirements closer to the January 2017 effective date.</p>
<p><strong>For more details</strong><br />Schools should review the DCL for additional details regarding the significant GE regulatory requirements. Schools are also encouraged to visit the <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/GainfulEmploymentInfo/indexV2.html" target="_blank">Gainful Employment Information Page</a> on the IFAP website for publications and resources on GE as well as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) with responses from ED.</p>http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/gainful-employment-rules-effective-july-1-2015
http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/gainful-employment-rules-effective-july-1-2015Financial AidTue, 07 Jul 2015 14:02:29 GMTUpdated NSLDS Gainful Employment User Guide<p>ED recently published an <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/063015GEEAnnouncement56UpdatedNSLDSGainfulEmploymentUserGuide.html" target="_blank">electronic announcement</a> (E-ANN) announcing the availability of an updated version of the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) Gainful Employment (GE) User Guide. The guide can be accessed on the <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/ifap/byNSLDSType.jsp?type=NSLDS%20User%20Documentation" target="_blank">NSLDS User Documentation page</a> on the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) Web site, and can also be downloaded from the "Resources" section of the <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/GainfulEmploymentInfo/indexV2.html" target="_blank">Gainful Employment Information Page</a>. Schools should use information in the guide to submit required GE information to ED.</p>
<p><strong>GE reporting deadlines</strong><br />The E-ANN reminds schools that the deadline to report GE Program information is July 31, 2015, for the 2008-2009 Award Year through the 2013-2014 Award Year. For certain medical and dental programs the reporting must include data from the 2007-2008 Award Year through the 2013-2014 Award Year. The GE reporting deadline for the 2014-2015 Award Year is October 1, 2015.</p>
<p><strong>For more information</strong><br />The <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/GainfulEmploymentInfo/indexV2.html" target="_blank">Gainful Employment Information Page</a> on the IFAP Web site contains publications and resources on GE as well as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). ED recently updated the FAQs with additional information and operational guidance on GE requirements and encourages schools to review the new information.</p>http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/updated-nslds-gainful-employment-user-guide
http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/updated-nslds-gainful-employment-user-guideFinancial AidTue, 07 Jul 2015 13:51:59 GMTRemaining 2015-2016 interest rates released<p>ED recently released the remaining two categories of interest rates for older federal loans effective <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/ffelvarrates/063015FFELVarInterRatesPeriodJuly1June30.html">July 1, 2015</a>. Interest rates for older PLUS and SLS loans are based on the weekly average of the one-year constant-maturity Treasury yield for the last calendar week ending on or before June 26. Interest rates for the HEAL portion of Federal Consolidation loans are based on the 91-day Treasury bill (T-bill) auctioned for the quarter ending June 30.</p>
<p>TG reported ED's release of the <a href="/blog/post.cfm/direct-loan-interest-rate-changes">interest rates for new Direct loans</a> first disbursed on or after July 1, 2015 and before July 1, 2016 in a previous <em>Shoptalk</em> article.</p>
<p><strong>TG Interest Rate Chart</strong></p>
<p>TG has updated its comprehensive interest rate chart with the 2015-2016 interest rates for both new and older federal loans. Download the <a href="/policy/intrates.cfm">chart</a> for easy reference to the current interest rates!</p>http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/remaining-2015-2016-interest-rates-released
http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/remaining-2015-2016-interest-rates-releasedFinancial AidThu, 02 Jul 2015 19:05:56 GMTDirect loan interest rate changes<p>In an electronic announcement (E-ANN) published on <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/051515DLInterestRates1516.html">May 15, 2015</a>, ED announced the new interest rates for Direct loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2015 and before July 1, 2016. As you may recall, the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013 provides new formulas for the determination of interest rates for all Direct loan types. Under the law, the index rate is determined each year as the "high yield of the 10-year Treasury note" auctioned at the final auction held prior to the June 1 proceeding the July 1 of the year for which the rate will be effective, plus a statutorily defined "add-on." The add-on differs depending on the type of loan and the student's grade level. Each loan type is also subject to a maximum interest rate (or cap).</p>
<p>The new interest rates for Direct loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2015 and before July 1, 2016, are as follows:</p>
<table style="margin-left:5%;" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>• Direct subsidized and unsubsidized loans to undergraduate students</td>
<td> 4.29%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>• Direct unsubsidized loans to graduate/professional students</td>
<td> 5.84%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>• Direct PLUS loans to graduate/professional students and to parents of dependent undergraduate students</td>
<td> 6.84%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>It is important to note that the interest rate for a Direct Consolidation loan is still calculated as the weighted average of the interest rates on the loans included in the consolidation, rounded up to the next higher one-eighth of one percent. There is no longer a maximum interest rate for Direct Consolidation loans.</p>
<p><strong>More information</strong></p>
<p>Schools can refer to the <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/051515DLInterestRates1516.html">E-ANN</a> for more detailed information regarding the formulas for calculating these interest rates.</p>http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/direct-loan-interest-rate-changes
http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/direct-loan-interest-rate-changesFinancial AidThu, 02 Jul 2015 14:52:08 GMTED provides clarifications on ability to benefit alternatives <p>In <em>Dear Colleague Letter</em> (DCL) <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/GEN1509.html" target="_blank">GEN-15-09</a> published on May 22, 2015, ED clarifies changes made to the Higher Education Act (HEA) by the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235) to the Title IV eligibility of students who are not high school graduates. The DCL includes detailed information about the reinstatement of ability to benefit (ATB) alternatives for student eligibility, and the statutory definition of an eligible career pathway program required under Pub.L. 113-235 for purposes of Title IV aid eligibility.</p>
<p><strong>Background</strong><br />Pub. L. 113-235 was enacted on December 16, 2014. The law changed section 484(d) of the HEA to allow a student who does not have a high school diploma (or its recognized equivalent), or who did not complete a secondary school education in a homeschool setting, to be eligible for Title IV aid through ATB alternatives, but only if the student is enrolled in an "eligible career pathway program" as defined in the HEA. Pub. L. 113-235 is effective for students who are enrolled in an eligible career pathway program on or after July 1, 2014. The eligibility of students enrolled through ATB alternatives prior to July 1, 2014, is not affected.</p>
<p><strong>Eligible career pathway programs</strong><br />The DCL provides that "career pathways refer to a combination of rigorous and high-quality education, training, and support services that are aligned with the skill needs of industries in state or regional economies, preparing individuals to be successful in secondary or postsecondary education program and the labor market." Pub. L. 113-235 requires that to become eligible for Title IV aid under one of the ATB alternatives, the student must be enrolled in an "eligible career pathway program." This type of program contains two components: an adult education component, and a Title IV-eligible postsecondary program component. Details on these two components are provided in the DCL.</p>
<p><strong>Limited Pell Grant</strong><br />Pub. L. 113-235 also limits the amount of Pell Grant awards for students who gain Title IV eligibility through one of the ATB alternatives and who first enroll in an eligible career pathway program on or after July 1, 2015. The DCL includes an attachment with an alternative Pell Grant disbursement schedules that schools must use to determine the 2015-2016 award amounts for these students.</p>
<p><strong>More information</strong><br />Schools should review the DCL to obtain details on the changes made by Pub. L. 113-235 to the Title IV eligibility of students who are not high school graduates. If you have questions about the guidance provided in the DCL, contact Federal Student Aid's Research and Customer Care Center staff at 1-800-433-7327, or via e-mail at <a href="mailto:fsa.customer.support@ed.gov" target="_blank">fsa.customer.support@ed.gov</a>.</p>http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/ed-provides-clarifications-on-ability-to-benefit-alternatives
http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/ed-provides-clarifications-on-ability-to-benefit-alternativesFinancial AidFri, 29 May 2015 14:00:00 GMTFSA ID — additional information and helpful hints<p>On May 22, 2015, ED published an <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/052215FSAIDPinInformationHelpfulHints.html" target="_blank">electronic announcement</a> (E-ANN) which provides additional information and helpful hints for creating an FSA ID. As announced in a May 11, 2015 <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/051115FSAIDPINReplacementSuccessfullyImplementedMay102015.html" target="_blank">E-ANN</a>, the FSA ID — which replaced the Federal Student Aid PIN — was successfully implemented on May 10, 2015. Although the majority of users to date have successfully created an FSA ID without issue, ED continues to receive questions from students and parents. This E-ANN is intended to further assist the financial aid community in responding to questions from students, parents, and borrowers.</p>
<p><strong>Reminders and helpful hints</strong><br />The E-ANN provides several reminders and helpful hints about the FSA ID for users, including information on:</p>
<ul>
<li>Linking a PIN to the FSA ID</li>
<li>Using unique e-mail addresses on FSA ID account</li>
<li>Correcting personally identifiable information (PII) on FSA ID account</li>
<li>Verifying the FSA ID e-mail address</li>
<li>Accessing supported browsers</li>
</ul>
<p>In addition, schools are encouraged to work with their technology support organization to add <a href="http://fsaid.ed.gov" target="_blank">fsaid.ed.gov</a> to the list of trusted domain addresses used by the school. This will reduce the chances that FSA ID-related e-mail messages are blocked or identified as spam.</p>
<p>Schools are also reminded that implementation of the FSA ID does not change the FSA User ID log-in process for financial aid professionals. However, a professional user with an FSA User ID who is also a student, parent, or borrower must create an FSA ID for personal use on student- or borrower-based websites.</p>
<p><strong>More information</strong><br />Schools should review the E-ANN to obtain additional information and hints for creating the FSA ID. Students, parents, and borrowers who have general questions about creating an FSA ID, or who are having difficulty logging in with their FSA ID, should contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at 1-800-4-FED-AID. Web chat is also available from the <a href="https://fafsa.ed.gov/" target="_blank">FAFSA.gov</a> "Help" page under "Contact us."</p>http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/fsa-id-additional-information-and-helpful-hints
http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/fsa-id-additional-information-and-helpful-hintsFinancial AidWed, 27 May 2015 14:00:00 GMTClosed school corner, May 2015<p>The following table provides a list of newly reported school closures and corrections from the May 2015 <em>Closed School Monthly Report</em> supplied by ED. Schools listed are those with which TG has done business or to which TG has otherwise provided services.</p>
<table class="tablez" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="450" align="center">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th colspan="3" align="left">Newly reported closures</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="left" valign="bottom">OPE<br />School ID</th><th align="left" valign="bottom">School<br />Name/Address</th><th align="left" valign="bottom">ED's Official<br />Closure Date</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">02205200</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Sanford-Brown College</strong><br />1345 Smizer Mill Road<br />Fenton, MO 63026-7305</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/20/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">00481100</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Everest Institute</strong><br />1630 Portland Ave.<br />Rochester, NY 14621-3007</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">00449400</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Everest College</strong><br />217 E Club Center Dr., Ste. A<br />San Bernardino, CA 92408-3752</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">00719000</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>WyoTech</strong><br />200 Whitney Place<br />Fremont, CA 94539-7663</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">00723400</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Heald College</strong><br />875 Howard St., Ste. 100<br />San Francisco, CA 94103-3032</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">00723401</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Heald College-Honolulu</strong><br />1500 Kapliolani Blvd.<br />Honolulu, HI 96814</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">00723402</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Heald College-Portland</strong><br />6035 NE 78th Court<br />Portland, OR 97218-2852</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">00809000</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Everest College</strong><br />2215 Mission Rd.<br />Alhambra, CA 91803-1310</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">01110700</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Everest College</strong><br />511 North Brookhurst St.<br />Anaheim, CA 92801-5231</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">01110900</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Everest College</strong><br />18040 Sherman Way, Ste. 400<br />Reseda, CA 91335-4631</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">01112300</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Everest College</strong><br />1045 West Redonda Beach Blvd., Ste. 275<br />Gardena, CA 90247-4163</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">01287300</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>WyoTech</strong><br />2161 Technology Place<br />Long Beach, CA 90810-3800</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">01287301</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>WyoTech- Everest College</strong><br />3000 S. Robsertson Blvd. #300<br />Los Angeles, CA 90034-3158</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">01287302</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>WyoTech-Everest College</strong><br />12801 Crossroads Parkway S.<br />City of Industry, CA 91746-3412</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">02295000</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Everest College</strong><br />10400 N 25th Ave #190<br />Phoenix, AZ 85021-1610</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">03072300</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Everest College</strong><br />1460 S. Milliken Ave.<br />Ontario, CA 91761-3222</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">03195400</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Everest College</strong><br />1231 Cabrillo Ave, Ste. 201<br />Torrance, CA 90501-2867</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">02100401</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Everest Institute-Kalamazoo</strong><br />5177 West Main St.<br />Kalamazoo, MI 49009-3307</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">05/07/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">02295002</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Everest College</strong><br />5416 E Baseline Rd., Ste. 200<br />Mesa, AZ 85206-4704</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">00723404</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Heald College-Concord</strong><br />5130 Commercial Circle<br />Concord, CA 94520</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">00723405</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Heald College-Milpitas</strong><br />341 Great Mall Parkway<br />Milpitas, CA 95035-8008</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">00723406</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Heald College-Hayward</strong><br />25500 Industrial Blvd.<br />Hayward, CA 94545-2352</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">00723408</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Heald College-Roseville</strong><br />Seven Sierra Gate Plaza<br />Roseville, CA 95678-5303</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">00723409</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Heald College-Salinas</strong><br />1450 N. Main St.<br />Salinas, CA 93906-5100</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">00723410</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Heald College-Stockton</strong><br />1605 E. March Lane<br />Stockton, CA 95210-5667</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">00723411</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Heald College-Rancho Cordova</strong><br />2910 Prospect Park Dr.<br />Rancho Cordova, CA 95670-6005</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" valign="top">00723412</td>
<td valign="top"><strong>Heald College-Fresno</strong><br />255 West Bullard<br />Fresno, CA 93704-1706</td>
<td align="center" valign="top">04/27/15</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/closed-school-corner-may-2015
http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/closed-school-corner-may-2015Financial AidFri, 22 May 2015 14:00:00 GMTED publishes draft cash management rules <p>On May 18, 2015, ED published in a <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/fregisters/FR051815.html" target="_blank">Notice of Proposed Rulemaking</a> (NPRM) the remaining program integrity and improvement issues that were negotiated in early 2014. The NPRM includes proposed rules on cash management issues, repeat coursework, and clock-to-credit hour conversion.</p>
<p><strong>Background</strong><br />The negotiated rulemaking (Neg Reg) committee met in early 2014 to negotiate six issues related to student financial aid. These issues were: clock-to-credit hour conversion; state authorization of distance education; state authorization of foreign locations of domestic institutions; cash management; retaking coursework; and PLUS loan adverse credit history. Although an additional session was added to the Neg Reg schedule to give the negotiators more time to consider the issues, the negotiators were unable to reach consensus on the proposed regulatory language. ED has already published an NPRM and <a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/fregisters/FR102314.html" target="_blank">final regulations</a> regarding the PLUS loan issues. This NPRM addresses the remaining issues, except for state authorization of distance education and state authorization of foreign locations of domestic institutions. ED continues to examine these two issues and is working with the higher education community to explore how to address these topics in the future.</p>
<p><strong>Public comment period</strong><br />Schools should review the NPRM to obtain details on the proposed rules. In particular, there are proposed regulatory changes to the cash management rules that may significantly impact current processes and procedures. Schools are encouraged to submit comments on or before July 2, 2015, if they have concerns or questions regarding any of the proposed rules. Detailed instructions for submitting comments are included in the NPRM.</p>
<p><strong>More information</strong><br />ED has developed a <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/2012/programintegrity.html" target="_blank">Web page</a> that provides details about the 2014 Program Integrity and Improvement Neg Reg session.</p>http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/ed-publishes-draft-cash-management-rules
http://www.tgslc.org/blog/post.cfm/ed-publishes-draft-cash-management-rulesFinancial AidThu, 21 May 2015 18:00:00 GMT